Hammer for overhead nailing.



S. SPEED,

HAMMER FOR G'VERHEAD mums,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, i916.

LWQWQ Patanted May 8 1912.

31m Mica SAMUEL 5km 25 I SAMUEL SPEED, OF TATUM, TEXAS.

HAMMER, FOR OVERHEAD MAILING.

Application filed November 28, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL SPEED, a.

citizen of the United States, residing at Tatum, in the county of Rusk,State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Hammer for OverheadNailing; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a hammer for overhead nailing, and hasfor its object to provide a hammer of this character which embodiesnovel features of cou'struction whereby a nail can be securely clampedupon the driving end of the head in such a manner as to be properlystarted upon the initial blow of the hammer, after which the nail can bedriven home in the usual manner by successive blows of the hammer.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a hammer of thischaracter which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in itsconstruction, which can be used in the same manner as an ordinaryhammer, which admits of the nail being quickly clamped in position afterbeing started or released from engagement with the hammer, and which canbe used to great advantage in doing overhead nailing where it is verytimesome and dilficult to hold the nails in the fingers while startingthem.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a hammer constructed in accordance with the invention,the lower end of the handle being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with parts broken away and shown'in section toillustrate more clearly certain details of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the hammer looking directly at the driving endof the head, the lower end of the handle being broken away, and

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented May S, 191?.

Serial No. 133,945.

Fig. a is a detached perspective view of the movable clamping jaw.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, thereference character A designates the head of the hammer, and B the usualhandle which has the end thereof fitted within a socket l extendingtransversely through an intermediate portion of the hammer head. Adriving end 2 is formed at one end of the head A, while the usual claws3 are provided at the opposite end of the said head. The side of thedriving end 2 which faces toward the handle B is flattened to provide afixed jaw at, said jaw being provided with a longitudinal groove 5 whichis adapted to receive the shank of a nail C, and which opens through thedriving end 2 so that when a nail C is clamped in position the pointedend thereof will project beyond the driving end of the hammer, asindicated by dotted lines on Fig. 1. An angular corner 6 provides a seatat the inner end of the fixed jaw a, and when a nail C is in positionthe head there of abuts against this seat, the projecting edge of thehead being received within a recess 7 which is provided at the junctionof the seat and fixed jaw.

Cooperating with the fixed jaw at to grip the nail C is a sliding aw 8which is mounted to move back and forth upon a guide rod 9. The end ofthe movable jaw 8 which faces the fixed jaw a is correspondinglyflattened and is provided with a groove 10 which corresponds to thegroove 5 of the fixed jaw, the two grooves providing a suitable recessfor receiving and properly positioning the shank of the nail C. Theinner corner of the sliding jaw 8 is notched at 11 to provide aclearance space for the angular corner 6 of the head, the outer side ofthe notch being spaced from the seat of the angular corner so as tocooperate therewith to provide a clearance space for the projecting edgeportion of the nail head. The guide rod 9 extends loosely through alongitudinal opening 12 in the sliding jaw, and a coil spring 13 whichsurrounds the guide rod bears against the end of the sliding jaw andnormally tends to move it yieldingly toward the fixed jaw 4.

The inner end of the guide rod 9 is shown as having a threadedengagement with the hammer head A, as indicated at 14, while the outerend thereof terminates in a head 9 which is received within a transverseopening formed in an arm 14/: which projects laterally from the handleB. This arm 1d may be formed with a threaded stem 15 which is screwedinto the handle B, as indicated by Fig. 2. This provides an arrangementof parts which can be conveniently assembled, and which admits of thesliding jaw being easily placed in position or removed therefrom Theinner face of the sliding jaw 8 is flattened at 16 and slides against aflattened guide surface 17 formed upon the hammer head A, said guidesurface 17 being arranged at right angles to the fixed jaw 4- of thehammer head. A longitudinal groove 17 is formed in the flat guidesurface 17 while the sliding jaw 8 is provided upon its inner face witha longitudinally extending rib 18 which is received within the groove 17The sliding jaw 8 is thus guided and directed in its movements towardand away from the fixed jaw i and held against rotation upon the guiderod 9. The outer face of the sliding jaw S is cut away to provide afinger piece 19 at the lower end thereof, thereby admitting of the jawbeing quickly moved away from the hammer head when placing a nail inposition between the jaws or releasing a nail.

When it is desired to start a nail in an ,overhead or other inaccessibleposition, the

nail is inserted in position between the fixed jaw 4E and the movablejaw 8 and the latter permitted to grip the nail, with the pointed endthereof projected beyond the driving end of the hammer head, asindicated by dotted lines on Fig. 1. The cotiperating grooves 5 and 10of the two jaws then receive and engage the shank of the nail in such amanner as to hold the nail against lateral movement, while the head ofthe nail bears squarely against the shoulder or seat provided by theangular corner 6. The initial stroke of the hammer will then start thenail in the desired manner, the movable jaw 8 being slid away from thefixed jaw to release the nail before the hammer is with drawn. After thenail has thus been started, it can be driven home in the usual manner bysuccessive strokes of the hammer.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A hammer including a head formed loosely fitted within the said guideopening and screwed into the hammer head, said guide rod belng arrangedparallel to the flattened guide surface on the hammer head,

.and a sliding jaw mounted upon said guide rod and having a flattenedside which slidably engages the before mentioned guide surface on thehammer head, said sliding jaw cooperating with the fixed jaw to grip anail to hold. it in position for starting upon the initial stroke of thehammer.

2. A hammer including a head formed with a driving end having the underside thereof flattened to provide a fixed jaw, a seat for the head of anail being formed in the hammer head at the inner end of said flattenedsurface at right angles thereto, said seat being provided at one sidethereof with a recess adapted to receive one side of the nail head, andat the opposite side thereof with a flat guide surface, a handle uponone end of which the said head is fitted, an arm projecting laterallyfrom said handle and provided with a guide opening, a guide rod looselymou'ntec within said guide opening and screwed into the head of thehammer, said guide rod being arranged parallel to the flat guide surfaceon the hammer head, a sliding jaw movable toward and away from saidfixed jaw for cooperation therewith to grip a nail and hold it inposition for starting upon the initial stroke of the hammer, said jawbeing slidably mounted upon said guide rod and provided with a flattenedside which slidably engages the before mentioned fiat guide surface onthe hammer head, and being also provided with a cut away portion adaptedto cooperate with the before mentioned nail head seat to receive theopposite side of the nail head, and a coil spring surrounding the beforementioned guide rod and interposed between the sliding jaw and thelateral arm projecting from the hammer handle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of a subscribing witness.

SAMUEL SPEED.

itness Errrn HnLvnNs'roN.

Games of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

